You are the first to get a sneak preview of this year’s Cumbria Green Build & Sustainable Living Festival!
We are still busily putting the final touches on our whopping list of 50 or so events, but we’re peeling back the curtain so you can see what’s in store for you when they open for booking later in July.
Keep an eye on our website and social media towards the middle of the month to have first choice!
Open homes:
No Green Build Festival would be complete without the chance to visit real homes with energy-saving design, renewable energy technologies and sustainable materials and building methods. There’ll be a dozen on offer, from Passivhaus to straw bale new builds and clever retrofits of existing properties.
Low-energy building:
Whether you’re building a new home or renovating an old one, we’ve got tours, workshops and courses to give you practical advice on everything from lime insulation to Passivhaus and co-housing.
Renewable energy:
If you’re wondering whether to install renewables after the end of feed-in tariffs, you’ll really benefit from our talk on this topical issue. We’ve also got a big focus on hydro schemes this year, with the chance to visit two and to hear about how a community got together to set up their own – maybe something you could do in your area?
Food:
We’re serving up a delicious buffet of foodie events this year! You can learn how to grow food with our courses and visits to growers’ sites. Permaculture, small holdings and private allotments are all on the menu. We reckon that the chance to try a low-carbon menu will sell out pretty quickly, so keep an eye on our social media for tickets going on sale for that one!
Sustainable living:
If you want to cut your carbon footprint and play your part in preventing the climate crisis, then you’ll love some of our workshops, talks, films and courses. There’s sustainable floristry, pallet upcycling, and even a tour the world to see the impacts of climate change. Just to mention a few highlights…
- Delve into a whole range of ways to cut your carbon footprint with a talk by Mike Berners-Lee, sharing practical tips and fascinating facts from his new book There’s No Planet B.
- With councils declaring climate emergencies around the county, we’re hugely excited to host a major summit here in Cumbria to help plan next steps. You’ll hear about the forthcoming update to the Zero Carbon Britain report, which shows how the UK can reach net zero emissions with the technologies we already have available. There’ll be sessions for young people and community groups involved in tackling the climate crisis.
- If you want a really good understanding of climate change, keep an eye out for our new courses looking at climate science, how climate change is affecting us, what’s happening to prevent it and what people, businesses and organisations can do about it.
Bus tour:
Yes, it’s back for 2019! The ever-popular Green Build Bus Tour will whisk you around sites in the South Lakes where you’ll experience different aspects of sustainability – from homesteading to green building, from upcycling to repairing. And, of course, no good bus tour is complete without a few delicious stops for coffee and lunch!
The 2019 Cumbria Green Build & Sustainable Living Festival is supported by Electricity North West, our headline sponsor.
